An airplane takes off from Reagan National Airport (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Reagan National Airport has seen a significant decline in the loudest aircraft types over the past decade, but some advocates say it’s not enough to mitigate the impacts of increased flight operations.
Stage 3 commercial aircraft — the noisiest in current fleets — have declined from 21% of all operations in 2015 to 2% in 2025 at Reagan National, while Stage 4 and Stage 5 aircraft have increased from 79% to 98% of the total, according to Michael Jeck, the noise office manager at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA).
Neighbors in Waycroft-Woodlawn held a candlelight vigil Tuesday at Woodlawn Park in memory of Alex Pretti (courtesy anonymous)
Rosslyn Water Main Break — “Crews are repairing a 12-inch water main break at 18th St N & N Oak St. Some 50 customers in a high-rise building could be affected. N Oak St is closed to traffic between 18th St N & Wilson Blvd.” [Arlington DES/X]
Crash on I-395 — “It’s lucky this one stayed upright this morning or it could have been a lot worse. Northbound I-395 at Boundary Channel. No injuries reported.” [Dave Statter/X]
Beyer Supports Noem Impeachment — “Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) today… called for the removal of ICE, CBP, and other DHS personnel from Minneapolis, a full, independent investigation of the killings of [Alex] Pretti and [Renee] Good, and the impeachment of Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.” [Press Release]
Bummer for Booz — “The U.S. Treasury Department has canceled $21 million in contracts with Tysons-based consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, claiming that the firm failed to protect sensitive taxpayer data.” [FFXnow]
Arlingtonians Have Shortest Commute — Arlington workers have an average one-way commute time of 31.04 minutes, lowest in the metro area, according to new data from the 2025 State of the Commute report. The District of Columbia (33.01 minutes) and Fairfax County (35.57 minutes) were second and third in the report, with Charles County, Md., recording the longest commute at 64.38 minutes. —Scott McCaffrey
Local Theaters Get Award Nods — The Arlington Players have received 15 nominations and Dominion Stage nine in the 24th annual Washington Area Theatre Community Honors (WATCH) awards program for community theaters across the D.C. region. The awards will be presented at a March 22 ceremony at the Birchmere in Alexandria. —Scott McCaffrey
Another Winter Storm? — “Potential is increasing for another significant winter storm to impact the eastern United States this coming weekend. It is too early to know the details, but please keep updated with the latest forecasts this week!” [NWS/X, WWG/X]
It’s Tuesday — After the wind chill dips to -6, expect sunshine and a high of 26 degrees. The west wind at 5 to 8 mph will shift south in the afternoon. Tuesday night will be partly cloudy and cool with a low of 8 degrees. Wind chill values may reach -1 as the northwest wind blows at 3 to 7 mph. [NWS]
A Metrobus navigates snowy Crystal City streets under a severe snow service plan (staff photo by James Jarvis)
For the second straight day following Sunday’s winter storm, Arlington County facilities will be closed on Tuesday.
“Due to inclement weather, Arlington County Government will shift to virtual operations on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026,” the county announced around 7:30 p.m. Monday. “Programs are canceled. All County facilities are closed.”
A plane takes off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as Roberto Marquez of Dallas places flowers at a memorial of crosses he erected for the 67 victims of a midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines jet, Feb. 1, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
So many things went wrong last Jan. 29 to contribute to the deadliest plane crash on American soil since 2001 that the National Transportation Safety Board isn’t likely to identify a single cause of the collision between an airliner and an Army helicopter over the Potomac River at its hearing Tuesday.
Instead, their investigators will detail what they found that played a role in the crash, which killed 67 people, and the board will recommend changes to help prevent a similar tragedy. Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration already took the temporary restrictions it imposed after the crash and made them permanent to ensure planes and helicopters won’t share the same airspace again around Reagan National Airport.
Quiet streets in Cherrydale during the snowfall on Jan. 25, 2026 (courtesy anonymous)
Waste collection has been canceled for a second day in Arlington as the county continues to urge motorists to stay off the road.
Curbside collection and brush pickup will not take place tomorrow (Tuesday), and no make-up runs will happen later in the week. Waste pickup was also canceled today (Monday).
Arlington police car driving in the snow (file photo)
A Maryland man is facing numerous charges after “a series of property crimes targeting Arlington homes and a business.”
The 34-year-old from Waldorf allegedly stole thousands of dollars worth of jewelry, store merchandise and other items in nearly a dozen Arlington incidents dating back to mid-2025.
Portion of southbound GW Parkway near the location of a fatal crash on Jan. 1, 2025 (via Google Maps)
A drunk driver who struck and killed a woman in a head-on collision on GW Parkway has been sentenced to 8 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter.
Carlos Hernandez Romero — who did not have a driver’s license and who was driving 80 mph in the wrong direction the night of Jan. 1, 2025 — admitted to aggravated DWI manslaughter, according to a press release from the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for Arlington and Falls Church.
ICE agents on N. Piedmont Street in Ashton Heights (staff photo by Katie Taranto)
If Arlington residents see immigration enforcement operating in the county, some local elected officials are advising them to call 911.
County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti and Board member Takis Karantonis encouraged calling the emergency number. De Ferranti noted at a meeting on Saturday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents “have no legal requirement to tell us when they come into our community.”
Renderings of the apartment building proposed for the Inn of Rosslyn
County Board members voted unanimously on Saturday (Jan. 24) to approve redevelopment of the vacant Inn of Rosslyn motel site for new apartments.
“We are facing a housing crisis. This crisis is today,” Board member Takis Karantonis said in support of the proposal by Monument Realty to construct an eight-story building totaling 141 units, including 13 committed-affordable units.
Iwo Jima memorial in the snow (Flickr pool photo by Brian Gannon)
Flights Resuming at DCA — “Great news! Flights will gradually return to DCA on Monday. Confirm your itinerary directly with your airline. Thanks to our hard-working snow team who drove around the clock to plow, broom and de-ice the airfield.” [Reagan Airport/X]
Burglaries on Columbia Pike — “The suspect broke a window of a closed business in the 5500 block of Columbia Pike before fleeing the scene. A short time later, police were dispatched to another closed business in the 5000 block of Columbia Pike for a burglary alarm. It was determined at approximately 3:32 a.m., the suspect forced entry into the business by shattering a window, rummaged through the interior, stole merchandise and fled the scene.” [ACPD]
Robbery Suspects Arrested — “@ArlingtonVaPD looking for a pair of robbery suspects last night, quickly found them sitting at a bus stop six blocks away.” [Dave Statter/X]
Officers Go Sledding — “From assisting disabled motorists to braving a seriously gnarly sledding hill, ACPD has been hard at work today ensuring the weather doesn’t disrupt our commitment to caring for and connecting with our neighbors.” [ACPD/X]
Firefighters Help Motorist — “On the way back from a call, R109 stopped to give a helping hand. Looking out for our community, on and off the call.” [ACFD/X]
Possible Buyer for Compass — “Caffè Nero, a London-based chain of coffee houses, has cast a $2.9 million bid to acquire substantially all of Compass Coffee’s assets, ending more than two weeks of speculation about the identity of the stalking horse bidder following the D.C. company’s Jan. 6 Chapter 11 filing.” [WBJ]
WAMU Reporter Departing — “Just heard on “The Politics Hour” that WAMU Northern Virginia reporter @margaretbarthel is leaving to head abroad. Such a loss.” [Martin Austermuhle/X, Margaret Barthel/X]
Post Layoffs Coming — “Massive layoffs coming to Washington Post… rumor inside Post is that sports desk could be shuttered entirely… foreign desk will be hit hard too.” [Dylan Byers/X, Natalie Korach/X]
Alexandria Eatery on Yelp’s Top 100 — “A Del Ray restaurant is one of three Virginia eateries to make Yelp’s annual list of the “Top US Restaurants” released earlier this week. Matt and Tony’s All Day Kitchen + Bar just made the rankings, coming in at No. 100 out of the 100 spots featured.” [ALXnow]
Tysons Casino Bill Advances — “A Virginia Senate subcommittee has advanced the Tysons casino bill, setting it up for further consideration after its 2025 defeat in a House of Delegates committee. The Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology voted 5-3 today (Friday) in favor of the legislation from Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-34) to add Fairfax County as an eligible host for a casino.” [FFXnow, Sen. Scott Surovell/X]
It’s Monday — Expect a mostly sunny day with highs around 27 degrees and northwest winds from 11 to 16 mph, potentially reaching 28 mph. Monday night will be mostly clear and dangerously cold, with lows near 2 degrees and wind chills as low as -7, due to a west wind of 7 to 10 mph and gusts up to 20 mph. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
Major roads in Arlington still covered in snow and sleet as of 9 p.m. (via traffic cam)
Arlington County community centers, libraries and other facilities will be closed Monday as the cleanup continues from today’s winter storm.
About 7-8 inches of snow and sleet fell in Arlington. Hours of sleet has resulted in an especially dense and heavy covering over local roads and sidewalks, making plowing and shoveling more difficult.
